Colorado Open Celebrates Half-Century Mark

Another Stellar Field for State’s Most Prestigious Golf Competition

Chris Duthie

This year marks the 50^th anniversary of the Colorado Open, the esteemed golf tournament that has includes legends like Sam Snead, Billy Casper, Hale Irwin, Fred Couples and Phil Mickelson among its impressive cadre of competitors. The $125,000-purse event, once again sponsored by HealthONE, will take place this Thursday through Sunday (July 24-27) at Green Valley Ranch Golf Club in northeast Denver.

The stellar field includes Brandon Hagy, who finished second at the 2012 U.S. Amateur at Cherry Hills Country Club, and 11 former Colorado Open champions, including two-time PGA Tour winner Jonathan Kaye (who won the 1996 Colorado Open) and defending champion Zahkai Brown.

Perry Dye, son of legendary golf course designer Pete Dye, crafted Green Valley Ranch, the 11-time host of the event. The 7,042-yard, par-72 semi-private routing—which earned seven 2014 Colorado AvidGolfer Readers Choice Awards (CAGGYs) including Best Denver Region Course—is celebrated for its lush conditioning, towering cottonwood trees and abundance of balata-snaring, creek-fed wetlands.

For the event, however, the course will be stiffened mightily. Par will drop to 71—the reachable par-5 529-yard 12^th hole will be converted to a par-4—and the overall length will stretch to 7,260 yards to challenge the 156-player field.

Additionally, local knowledge will be critical to scoring.

Golf @ Altitude from 1-2-1 Marketing on Vimeo.

“Green Valley Ranch is a very difficult venue for golfers who have only seen it one or two times,” said Colorado Open Golf Foundation CEO and Green Valley Ranch President Kevin Laura. “It’s usually the multi tournament player that finally wins here, as opposed to a young buck who goes out and wins the first time he sees the course.”

The HealthOne Colorado Open benefits The First Tee of Green Valley Ranch. Competition is limited to professionals and amateurs with a certified 2.4 USGA handicap or lower. Admission and parking is free to the public. For information, go online to www.thefirstteegreenvalleyranch.org.

RELATED LINKS

Colorado Open Fast Facts

A Look Back: 50 years of Colorado Open History

Rocky Mountain Open Gets New Owners

Symons Among Players to Watch at Colorado Open

Chris Duthie is a contributor to Colorado AvidGolfer, the state’s leading resource for golf and the lifestyle that surrounds it. It publishes eight issues annually and proudly delivers daily content via www.coloradoavidgolfer.com.